Which car number will Antonelli use in Formula 1?
F1 News
Andrea Kimi Antonelli has been picked as Lewis Hamilton's replacement at Mercedes. The Italian will team up with George Russell at Toto Wolff's team for the 2025 Formula 1 season, and he wants to race with a very special race number.
Antonelli is currently competing in his debut Formula 2 season but will switch to Formula 1 during the winter break. The Italian drove Russell's car in FP1 during this weekend's Italian Grand Prix as part of the mandatory rookie practice sessions.
Which number does Antonelli want to use in F1?
Antonelli wants to use car number 12 when he makes his Formula 1. "I will take 12. I have many numbers that I like, but 12 is a special one because of an idol. I have been using it since F4 and it always went well. There is no reason to change it," Antonelli told GPblog and others.
The number has already been used by 152 drivers in the history of Formula 1, but one name makes it very special and is the idol Antonelli mentions. It was the number Ayrton Senna used in 64 Grands Prix. He used it between 1985 and 1988 on behalf of Lotus and then McLaren. Senna won his first Formula 1 World Championship whilst using that number in 1988. Other drivers to use the number include Nigel Mansell and Johnny Herbert.
Alpine's new signing, Jack Doohan, will also make his debut in the 2025 Formula 1 season. Doohan has also mentioned his intention to use the number 12 but Mercedes registered that to Antonelli in the practice session at the Italian GP weekend.